The Unusual Breakfast Richard Nixon Swore By That May Make Your Stomach Turn

There were a lot of tricky things about Richard Nixon. The 37th President of the United States had a long political career that turned sour with the Watergate scandal of the 1970s, ultimately leading to his resignation. In pop culture, the Republican former president is remembered as a jowly, gruff artifact of a bygone era in American political history. But perhaps he should also be remembered for his frankly odd and quintessentially mid-century eating habits. After all, his family did spur a fad for the classically 1970s Nixon chicken dish, a canned soup and chicken casserole that is both thrifty and tasty. 

There is one Nixon dish that we might not want to bring into the 21st century, however. Apparently, Richard Nixon had a particular affinity for cottage cheese topped with ketchup. Now, cottage cheese itself isn't an unexpected choice, especially considering the dairy product's popularity during this time. There was even a whole diet centered on the curdy cheese in the 1980s. However, the blending of cottage cheese with the tomato-based condiment is less understandable. After all, the mixture of vinegary ketchup with chunky cottage cheese sounds unpleasant to say the least, especially as a stand-alone dish. Now, Nixon did accompany his cottage cheese with a bowl of wheat germ and fruit. Even so, however, it might be difficult to stomach his preferred cottage cheese serving style. 

Richard Nixon's cottage cheese and ketchup breakfast has been, in recent years, subject to some serious judgement. Several TikTok accounts, such as Cookin' With Congress, a page dedicated to replicating the food habits of American politicians, have tried this dish, to mixed results. Some have found this combo to be just as off-putting as it sounds, while others assert that it's well, fine. Food taste is quite subjective, after all. So perhaps we should give this dish a chance. Besides, the similarly condiment-focused combination of cottage cheese and mustard has found a cult following among online foodies. So why not add ketchup into the mix?

Now, if this combo just simply turns your stomach, feel free to disregard. But for the ketchup-curious, you might want to try this pairing, not as a dish in and of itself, but as a dip (similar to the mustard and cottage cheese combo). This way, the ketchup taste won't be too overwhelming, and there will be another flavor to anchor this pairing, making it much less jarring. Some foods to dip into this combo include sausages, chicken strips, chicken nuggets, and fries. These will give the cottage cheese and ketchup a more savory base that pairs well with the creaminess of your cheese and the tang of your ketchup. You can also dip veggies for a fresher take on this pairing. Or, if this still doesn't sound appealing, you can stick with the tried-and-true pineapple and cottage cheese that Nixon is rumored to have eaten for his last meal.